WENNHillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood say they are ‘regretful and embarrassed’ at ignoring previous criticisms about their use of their moniker and vow to do better.
- Jun 12, 2020
AceShowbiz – Country stars Lady Antebellum are shortening their moniker after recognising the negative connotations associated with the latter half of the group name.
Bandmates Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood took to social media on Thursday, June 11, 2020 to announce they will now be known as Lady A, the shortened version long used by fans.
In the detailed message, the musicians explain the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests and renewed discussions about racial injustice and inequality have prompted them to reflect on the links the word “antebellum” has to aspects of the pre-Civil War South, including slavery.
“We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day,” they wrote. “Now, blind spots we didn’t even known existed have been revealed.”
“After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word ‘antebellum’ from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start.”
The “Need You Now” hitmakers admit they are “regretful and embarrassed” at having ignored previous criticisms about their use of the word, which they adopted after taking their first promotional photos in front of an antebellum-style home, used to represent the influence Southern music had had on the trio.
“We can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization,” the stars confessed. “What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it, and take action.”
Lady A insist they “want to do better” and to underscore their commitment to the cause, they will be donating to the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, via their own LadyAID charity.
They concluded, “Our prayer is that if we lead by example…with humility, love, empathy and action…we can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children & generations to come.”
Source: Music - aceshowbiz.com
